When Do You Cite?
Citing sources is often described as a straightforward, rule-based practice. However, there are many gray areas around citation, and learning to apply citation guidelines takes practice and education. If you are confused by it, you are not alone – in fact, you might be doing some good thinking.
Here are some guidelines to help you navigate citation practices:
Cite when you are directly quoting. This is the most straightforward rule to understand. If you are stating word-for-word what someone else has written or said, you must put quotes around those words and give credit to the original author. Not doing so would mean letting your reader believe these words are your own and represent your effort.
Cite when you are summarizing and paraphrasing. This is a trickier area to understand. First, summarizing and paraphrasing are two related practices, but they differ. Summarizing is when you read a text, consider the main points, and provide a shorter version of what you learned. Paraphrasing is when you restate what the original author said in your own words and include key details from the original source. A paraphrase is usually similar in length to the original. Summarizing and paraphrasing also require credit to be given to the original source. Both summarizing and paraphrasing require good writing skills and an accurate understanding of the material you are trying to convey. Summarizing and paraphrasing are challenging as a beginning academic researcher, but these skills become easier to perform over time with practice. For more details on how to properly integrate your research through direct quotes, paraphrases, and summaries, see section IV.
